Projects

Computer System to Evaluate the Environmental Impact of Polluting Maritime Accidents (POLLUTION)

Duration: 01.09.1996-31.03.2001 (55 months)

Coordination: Instituto Superior Técnico

Partners:

Funding Entity: Directorate-General for the Environment

An integrated system will be developed, making use of a Geographical Information System with data from the Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone, which will predict the evolution of an oil spill within the Portuguese EEZ to serve as a tool for planning the combat of the pollution and to predict the environmental impact of the spill [1]. In an earlier project a model was developed, which computes the weathering processes of the spilled oil and the change on the physical and chemical properties of the crude. The informatic system will be developed as an open platform that will allow the utilization of different approaches to the tracking of the spill. The simulation model that predicts the weathering processes [2] needs have the topographical information of the Portuguese coast as well as input of wind and currents data that induce the transport of the slick. Some of the data needed on the project has already been collected and treated, for example the shoreline and the bathymetry of Portuguese EEZ. The project includes the development of a graphical interface for the visualization of the geographical evolution of the slick.

Project Team

Associated Publications